While rookie tight ends rarely produce fantasy fruit, Fant has upside as a late-round penny stock selection who could finish as a top five fantasy tight end.

Fant’s athletic profile is jaw dropping. His combine numbers topped those of David Njoku, who was drafted in the first round in 2017 with the “athletic freak” label. Fant used his athletic gifts to average a robust 14.4 yards per catch over his final two seasons at Iowa, and racked up 18 touchdowns in the process. Those numbers would be even more impressive had Fant not played beside tight end T.J. Hockenson at Iowa, who was drafted eighth overall by the Lions.

“Oh, 100 percent,” Fant said. “Flacco is a guy that, like you said, likes to target the tight end, and he likes to give the ball to him. Being in a situation like that, I couldn’t ask for better [spot for] a tight end.”

Another reason to target Fant, beyond his uncapped upside as a receiver, are the habits of his quarterback. Its no secret Joe Flacco leans on his tight ends. Whether Ben Watson or Dennis Pitta, a tight end has led the Ravens in receptions each of the past two seasons that Flacco played a full 16 games. No offense to Watson or Pitta, but Fant is by far the most talented tight end Flacco has worked with and has the physical tools to turn a five yard dump off pass into a 50 yard touchdown.

Broncos general manager John Elway had this to say about his first round pick.

“With weapons sitting like that on the board, we felt fortunate that he was there. Joe likes the tight ends and stretching the field and especially with what we’re going to do offensively, it’s a good fit all around.”

Training camp reviews will shed some light on how quickly Fant adjusts to the professional ranks, but he’s someone who should be on your fantasy radar as a late round pick that has the potential to far outplay his draft status.

Bottom Line: Pass-catching specialist, who? Christian McCaffrey returned to his college workhorse roots under new OC Norv Turner, and quickly put up Fantasy MVP-worthy numbers. He continued to flash his otherworldly receiving abilities, hauling in an NFL record 106 catches for 875 yards and 6 TDs. Yet where the usage really rose was the carries, as McCaffrey nearly doubled his 2017 total for 215 carries, 1080 yards, and 7 scores. These 321 total touches ranked third behind only Ezekiel Elliott and Saquon Barkley, and this newfound volume created the ultimate ceiling / floor combination. In the process, McCaffrey flashed both the elusiveness, breakaway ability, and most shockingly underrated power to redefine the workhorse model.

​New OC Norv Turner deserves immense credit for this outburst. His previous work with LaDanian Tomlinson proved he wasn't afraid to ride a smaller-back, as he's able to scheme his guys in space and in creative outside gaps versus just blasting them up the gut... but even still, never before had an NFL back played nearly 97% of the team's snaps. Yes, this number inevitably will fall in 2019, but McCaffrey should still hover around 85-90%, especially with Turner returning. Expect a similar buffet of weekly volume with the upside for even more efficiency should the Panthers beef up their line while their explosive young wideouts take a next step forward.

Ceiling Projection: 320 touches (100 rec.), 2,000 Tot. Yds, 13 TDs

Floor Projection*: 270 touches (70 rec.), 1600 Tot. Yds, 7 TDs

Actual Projection: 310 touches (90 rec), 1900 Tot. Yds, 12 TDs

*Note - Floors are done without injuries in mind. Of course the lowest floor is torn ACL first play of scrimmage. This assumes 16 games